1332

This home, built in 1895 in John Lewis Cochran’s 4th addition to
Edgewater, looks decidedly more modern, with its clay tile roof
and wide façade. The home is covered in clapboard siding. The
permit date was May 4th and the original address was 1026
Norwood. A front porch has been enclosed and divided, so that
one part is an extension of the living room and one part serves as
the entrance porch. The second floor of the façade is symmetrical,
with a center bay window. The original third floor dormer was
probably like the home at 1309 Norwood, which was on a permit
issued on the same day. It shows a higher roof line, in keeping
with the vertical aesthetic of a home built before the horizontal
influence of the Prairie School. The architect is Julius Huber, who
lived in the Lakewood Balmoral area.

The front door has a transom above the door, which may have
been operating in the original home to improve air circulation.
The reception hall showcases the beautiful staircase, which is in
the Eastlake design used in the 1880s and 1890s. There is room in
this area for furnishings. In one corner, there must have been a
fireplace which shared a flue with a fireplace in the living room.
Look at the floorboards to see the design. All the flooring on the
first floor is quarter sawn oak.

The entrance to the living room is through an archway that may
have been added when the other alterations were done to the
home. This was once the home of Rudolph and Prudence Starr.
Mr. Starr owned a roofing company. One of the Starr’s daughters
lived across the alley when the current owners purchased the home. When
the current owners found an old trunk in the attic, they invited her to look
at it. She remembered it from her childhood and the current owners were
happy to return it to her.

The dining room is connected to the living room through an
arched entrance with a thick wall, which suggests that there may
have been a pocket door. The dining room has a bay window with
no center window. This seems to accommodate the closeness of
the next house by letting light into the room. It also has a window
overlooking the backyard. The windows are framed by the
original moldings, which predate the use of crown molding. The
dining room connects to the kitchen through a passageway with a
beautiful built in hutch. The kitchen has its original pantry and a
small porch off the back which is a two story porch.

In the passageway back to the front hall, you will see a window
near the entrance to the basement. It is one of the original windows
with the glass made before 1900. We can expect that all the
homes windows were in this design.

The staircase leads to the second floor with four bedrooms. At
the top of the staircase is the master bedroom which has the bay
window at the front of the house. Across the hall is a smaller
bedroom with a small porch attached. You will see the master
bedroom and look into another bedroom with the small porch
attached. Also look into the central bathroom which is raised up a
step. The tub is unique with the side faucets. This 100-plus year
old home has been updated and preserved and shows the care its
owners have given it over the years.